I'm going to start with - I love the Don Q. I love the kitsch. I love the room sizes. I love that they have theme rooms. That said, there is a battle going on at the Don Q with time - and the Don Q is losing. This is the second time I've stayed and my visits were 6 years apart. In that time, there has been a steady decline in the upkeep of this hotel. Everything is clean, but dated. The carpets need to be replaced or at least stretched. Repairs were made without finish work to try and mask the repairs (patching in the walls without paint, etc). The balloon in the 'up up and away' room was ripped and held together with duct tape. The rooms not in use did not have the climate control running, which led to a musty/mildew smell when they were turned on and attempts were made to mask the smell with heavy perfumes (of which I am allergic). The parking lot needs to be repaved, but I am sure there are no funds for a project of that undertaking. The iconic plane out front is in desperate need of a paint job. The list goes on and on.
It saddens me to write a review like this because, well, I love the Don Q. The staff was super friendly, helpful and responsive to all of our requests. I just think the area has seen a drastic drop in tourism (the number of people at House on the Rock was miniscule) and the income that this icon of Americana needs isn't there.